Convertible hay-rack.



1. H. CRUISElv com/Enum HAY RACK. APPLlCATlDN FILED MAR.E.19I7

1,281,145`. Emma oen 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS- SHEET l.,

1. HJCRUISEA. CONVRTIBLE HAY HACK. APFLICATIO-N FILED MAR- 6, |917.

, Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

2 SHETS-SHEET 2V UNITED STATES rn'riinr onirica.,

JAMES H ClvUSE, 0F EAELVILLE, ILLINQIS- CONVERTQBLE HAY-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 19118.

Application tiled March 6, 131?. Serial No. 152,817.

To all whom z'lmcy concern.'

Bo it known that. I, Imre CRUISE, a citizen of ,they United States, residing at .Earlville, in the county of La Salle. and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Hay'Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicle bodies, more particularly to hay racks and the like, and has for one of its objects to produce a construction whereby yine any yof thc portsthe device may be arranged for employment as an ordinary hay or fodder rack Q1 es. a VWagon body o r box without detach- Anothor object of the invcntion is to Proy vide a `device of this character having ei;-

tension side members which may be di$pOSed in horizontal alinement with the vfloor or deck por-tion of the vehicle body to increase .the width of the body, or disposed' at right angles to. the Hoor or deck to torno the side portions of e bOX or body-` l Another object of theinvention is to provide a device adapted to be attached t0 the frame Work of the body of a vehicle below the deck, and also to 4an extension member, whereby the extension member may be disposed in transverse alinement with the door or deck or disposed at right angles thereto,

'and locked from movement in one direction, either 1n lts'oppcr or lower position.

. With these. and other objects. in viewthe invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shownand described ,and then specifionllypointed vout fin the claims; `ond in the drawings. illustrative of the preferred embodiment, of ythe 1nl -ventiones- Figure dcvcc conctwctcd in' accordance invention lllci @motion i member .shown in. 'its loner vinclinan storende; o1'

in transverse alinement will? @h or Plotformmnd in .its clcvotod.' position etthe :opposite-side@ with the estensori moebel `ingles tothe tronsvsrsclnlanc of i ok. llt

-tlnslicckorplatform i also @tiene ,sa =elleof the improved dcvicc. Showing the extension member in its lower position,

Fig 3 is a View Similar' to Fig. 2 Showing thc extension member in. elevated. poeltolo-y Fig.. e: represents the conplin members. of

the improved device disconecte and in per-` speetive.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 14, showing' the device applied to an ordinary Wagon box, to support the extension members obliquely to the plane of the Sides of the box or in vertical alinement therewith.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the parts shown in Flg- 5..

Fig'. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of one of .thc coupling mcmbcrc cmplovcfl in the moditcd structure Shown in Figs- 5 and 6.

Corresponding and like 'parts are referred to in the following description ondndicotcd in all thc vcwcof the drowlnggsby thc. Sonic i The improved device' comprises. ,extension mcmbersfl, one ot cach Sido of. thc platform 10er at. cach Sido of thowcgon loos` .le as thc coso may hc, ond So coupled to thc .111cmbers 1,2 ,or the box 14. that the members ,1.3,

may bc .disposed in longitnslnal .ollrclnont with thc platform l0. or 'oblloocly tothe. )cox 14,'as shown at the left in 1an:L .5, or olcvatcd into position at right .ooglcc t0 vthc nlctiom, or 11o vertical .olinemcnt .with ,the ses .in `Eres l casi 5- *The coupling mcaos com Prisco cooctmg meuibcacf '15T-lloenaco Y any cceoosloocchcrof the of 'thc bor as` .Shown et' the right end upon t coupling devices may be employed, and it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect. A suiicient number will be employed to firmly support the members 13, and will generally be applied to each of the members 12, or to the sides of the box 14, as the case may be.

The coupling members are Substantially alike except that they are preferably formed rights and lefts, and the description of one will sulice for all. When employed in connection with a ha rack the member 15 will be a flat bar, as s own at the left in Fig. 4, and when employed in connection with a wagon box the member 16 will be in the form shown in Fig. 7. Each of the members 15 is bolted or otherwise secured to the structure with which it is associated and projects beyond the same. When arranged or application to a hay rack the pivots 17 are spaced inwardly from the outer ends of the members 15, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. Each of the members 16 is bolted or otherwise secured to the extension member 13 and formed with a half twist, as indicated at 18, so that the portion in advance of the twisted part lies flatly against the contiguous portlon of the member 15 and overlaps the same.

When applied to a wagon box, the relative positions of the parts will be reversed, the part 15 being attached to the member 13 and the part 16 to the box 14, but this change does not constitute a departure from the spirit of the invention as the results produced. are the same.

The terminal 19 of each of the members 16 extends for a distance beyond the pivot 17 as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and formed upon the portion 19 is a lateral lip 20 which extends past the contiguous edge of the member 15 when'the'member 1 3 is dis osed in transverse alinement with the dee 10, or obliquely to the box 14, as shown at the left in Fi` s. 1 and .5, and engages at one e projectin" portion of the member 15 when the mem er 13 is dis osed at vright angles'to the member'lO, as s own .at

the right in Figs. 1 and 5. By this means the lip 20l serves the twofold purpose of means for preventing the deiection of'the members-.IB-l' below a line in transverse lalinement with the member 10, or obli'quely to the box 14 when the member 13 is in its lower position, and locks the latter from inward movement beyond a vertical position when arranged as shown at the right in Fi 1 and 5. Y

y this means vthe platform '10 or box 14 maybe extended a' distance equal to the width of both the members 13 wh'e 1'1 the latter are disposed in vtheir lower positionfor Vthe members 1 3 disposed in vertical position' and at 'rightu angles'to the member"1'0 when the improved device is to be en'iployed as a vehicle box, or to increase the width and height of the sides of the box 14.

Thus when transporting hay, loose fodder or the like the members 13 may be disposed in their lower position, and when the vehicle is to be employed for transporting loose corn or the like the members 13 can be disposed in vertical position.

The members 15-16 are constructed of metal, preferably steel, and of sufficient strength to withstand the severe strains to which they will be subjected when in use, and may be of any required size.

Havin thus described the invention, what is c aimed as new is- 1. A device of the class described including co-acting members having their inner ends overlapped and pivotally united, one of said members being provided at a point near the pivot with a laterally extending lip, the upper face of which is adapted to bear against the lower longitudinal edge of the other member when said members are in one position, one end of said li being adapted to bear against said longltudinal edge when the members are moved to another osition.

2. device of the class described including co-acting fiat longitudinal bars having their inner` lfaces overlapped and'pivotally united and their outer ends provided with means for attachment to a support, one of said bars being provided intermediate its length with a half twist and at a point adjacent tlie pivot with a laterally extending lip, the upper face of which is adapted to bear aaginst the lower lon itudinal edge of the mating bar, when said bars are in longitudinal alinement with each other, one end of the lip being adapted to bear against said longitudinal edge when the b-ars are moved to a position at right angles to each other.

3. A device of' the class described' comprisin flat longitudinal bars, a portion of one o the bars being disposedin a vertical plane and overlapped and pivotally connected to the' adjacent end of the other-bar,

and the other portion of thelirst-mentioned bar bein disposed in a horizontal plane,

and a' lip extendin laterally from one of the bars' adjacent t e pivot and having its upper edge adapted to bear against the- "4. The combimagnwith t vehicle boa-y includin' a platform and movablesidesf, 'of a' plurality of hinges each including lcoact- .ing membershaving their outer endsri idly ars are moved v secured to the v'platform and sides ovv the fl the )mating member. when.. the Siglesof n l"w'fehiclrare movd to one"pj onwithv fl f 

